Page 4 of Bewitched By the Wicked Witch
The small square box pressed against my thigh as I walked down the corridor toward the council chambers, my heart racing with nervous excitement. What if she said no? I shook my head; I was the luckiest warlock to have ever walked this earth, to have the crumbs of this mighty witch's love and attention, would do anything for her. Yet, I hoped I could spend my life showing her I was worthy of her love in return.
With another deep inhale, I flexed my hand away from my pocket and focused on the moment ahead, eager to start our journey together as partners in life and magic. I had been an enormous ball of energy waiting for the ring to come in. I'd had to contact my family's estate manager to retrieve it from the vault. My grandmother, our family's matriarch, was away on council business and unreachable, but I couldn't wait any longer. The ring had been mymother's, and I knew she would have wanted Sage to have it.
I wasn't proposing because of her power. I would've asked even if she had none. But my family? They cared. A lot.
Sage was a Blackstone, her magic stronger than mine, her lineage impossible to ignore. I closed my eyes and pictured her: bright blue eyes, the kind that could cut and comfort in the same glance, framed by soft curls and skin like warm caramel.
She was my heart. And I'd spend forever trying to be worthy of her.
Only two more months until graduation. And if she said yes, three more months until we were husband and wife. At least that was what I was hoping for, that way no one could challenge our wedding... granted she said yes.
No one could interfere if we married as soon as possible.
If she said no, I had no idea what I would do.
My heart raced with excitement at the thought, my mind already planning the details of our future together. I could practically feel the sparks of anticipation tingling on my skin, like an electric current running through my body.
I would see her right after this meeting. Just had to get through whatever the council wanted first.
The heavy wooden door opened, and I stood, pulling my shoulders back. I had to look my best at this meeting. My excitement about proposing to Sage evaporated the moment I saw the grim faces around the table. Something was wrong--terribly wrong.
It was all or nothing. The room was dim, lit only by candles in ornate silver holders. The air was thick with the scent of incense and magic. The members of the council sat at a long table, their eyes assessing me as I walked further into the conference room. The room was otherwise mundane aside from the esoteric symbols carved into the walls and the spell casting area toward the back.
As I entered the large room, my gaze darted around the large table, not recognizing any of the faces but the head of the school who held a place on the High Council and… my grandmother sitting prim and proper to the right of the high witch directly across from me in the central seat of power. Her piercing gaze fixated on me.
"Grandmother," I said with a slight nod, trying not to show my surprise at her being here.
She gave no response, but pursed her lips in disapproval. The tall, balding man gestured for me to take a seat in an empty chair, drawing my attention. Power emanated from him and the others sitting at the table - members of the high council who controlled our world of magic.
As the old woman, known to all as the High Witch, took her seat at the head of the long wooden table, a hush fell over the room. Her voice was low and hoarse, but there was an undeniable aura of ancient power emanating from her. She let out a heavy sigh before addressing the group, her shoulders slumping in a display of genuine disappointment. "I take no pleasure in calling this meeting," she began, "but I must address the matter at hand. The person under scrutiny is my distant kin."
My eyebrows shot up as I remained quiet, waiting. I knew better than to speak up. To ask questions. It wasbest to wait and see what they wanted before doing or saying anything. There was more power in the room than I could ever hope to use in my lifetime. I gave a questioning look to my grandmother, the veritable Bessie Renshaw. Matriarch of a powerful witch family from the west coast, my family. But she only looked at me… I studied her, not grasping why this woman stared at me with disappointment.
My heart raced as I scanned the room, trying to decipher the purpose of this meeting. Was this about my ring, about the proposal? Fear hit me as I looked around at the gathered council. This wasn't just a meeting. My fear intensified as I realized this was no ordinary gathering; it felt like an inquisition. As I stood up to defend myself, a wave of power crashed over me, holding me back from speaking my truth.
"Stay put, Mr. Renshaw." the high witch demanded.
“You will not marry that dark witch,” she spat, venom dripping from her words. Her face twisted in anger, deepening the wrinkles on her face. “You think I wouldn’t find out?”
“I was hoping that once you met my soon to be wife and saw the light within her. You’d see she is not evil, but beautiful, kind and everything I do not deserve but so desperately want to keep,” I said with fervor and conviction and a bit of a desperate edge. Fear lanced through me. Fear not for myself, but for Sage.
“Her magic is dark.” My grandmother, Bessie, pointed her finger at me, “and she has bewitched you.”
“Just because of the way she has manifested her powers, does not make her dark,” a voice, unfamiliar tome, spoke from the other end of the table. I kept my eyes fixed on my grandmother, who was now seething with anger. The danger emanated from her, and I could sense something happening, something I knew I wouldn't like.
“Bessie has demanded a trial by fire for Sage.” The high witch, Eleanor Ravenstone, sat at the head of the table. Her name plate confirmed her identity, and I realized she was a distant relative of Sage's. Sage’s father had been on the council before his death.
Eleanor studied me shrewdly before speaking. "I do not wish to subject my grandniece to this ordeal…” She pursed her lips together into a tight line. “It’s bad enough my sister lets her gallivant around with our ancestors’ magic on display for all to see. Maud Blackstone put a black stain on our family’s legacy. and I want to, despite her potential for dark magic, protect her from this whole... nasty ordeal.” Her blue eyes, eyes so similar to Sage's, narrowed on me as if it was all my fault we were here now in this situation. As if me wanting to love her forever, to marry her, was an annoyance to her, an inconvenience.
I bit the inside of my lip so fiercely it drew blood as I held back a scoff.Grandniece by maybe ten generations by the look of her. Though Witches lived long extended lives compared to mortals, it was hard to tell their true age.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep my composure and figure out why they were here.
"I know her magic may seem dark, but I assure you, it is not." I stared, unwavering, at the biggest threat in the room, Eleanor Blackstone. Knowing that this revelation was exactly what she wanted. “I know her truths and her heart.”
Eleanor leaned forward, a hungry intensity in her eyes. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips as if preparing to feast on a delicious morsel of food, revealing yellowed teeth from age. "Ah yes, the other reason we are here." She paused for effect. "I have a proposal that I believe you will agree to."
"You will not wed that dark witch," my grandmother demanded, lifting her chin triumphantly.
